First, his slogan was "Change." Then it was "Forward." So tonight, as President Barack Obama lays out his second-term agenda tonight in his first  State of the Union since winning re-election, he'll also be giving a sense of what his presidential brand looks to stand for in the final years of his administration, too.

It's reported that he plans to focus on unfinished business such as immigration reform, educational improvement, gun control and climate change. The White House also promises an emphasis on the still-stagnant U.S. economy and ideas for federal spending to stimulate it. 

At the same time, an unspoken part of Obama's agenda remains outmaneuvering the opposition Republican Party, which is facing its own crossroads as the president grabs the spotlight again this evening.Continue reading...

It's hard to think of a brand that is more in crisis today than the Republican Party. Not even JCPenney or Groupon, Kodak or BlackBerry come close.

The dimensions of the licking that the Grand Old Party took at the polls on Tuesday are still unfolding, but Republican leaders and rank-and-file members alike are trying to figure out, exactly, just where they go from here.

They certainly wasted little time in getting started. U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, already was communicating via social media in the wee hours of Wednesday that his party needs a new outreach to Hispanics and other minorities — but one based on the appeal of conservative principles such as the importance of the family and hard work.

Beyond that basic formula, there's little agreement within the party ranks about where and how Republicans need to proceed in order to bolster the flagging morale of partisans, try to make back some of the lost ground in elections in 2014 and, of course, ultimately do better in capturing the White House in 2016 when two-term President Obama can't run again.Continue reading...

Among the many planned and officially sanctioned video showings at the Republican convention in Tampa this week will be a short tribute to Ron Paul, the Libertarian-leaning candidate who threw a fright into mainstream Republicans in the early presidential primaries but then faded -- and dutifully pledged not to mount a third-party effort to challenge the eventual GOP nominee, who will turn out to be Mitt Romney.

But by far the biggest video on the minds of convention-goers is likely to be one not officially screened there: 2016: Obama's America. The anti-Obama documentary narrated by conservative author Dinesh D'Souza was a huge box-office hit across the country over the weekend as it expanded to more than 1,000 screens, perhaps the start of what could be a strong run right on up to the November elections.

"You may love him. You may hate him. But you don't know him" is how TV ads on Fox News and elsewhere over the weekend were positioning the movie. Continue reading...

President Obama had a memorable logo to aid him in his 2008 presidential bid: An O that looks like a sun rising on the horizon of a red-and-white-striped landscape, a symbol of hope and a new day in America.

Now the 2012 presidential race is underway, Obama is back in the race, while Republican candidates are looking for every way possible to push their brands — including creating patriotic logos to underline their all-American messaging.

The latest entrant — Rep. Michelle Bachmann — doesn’t have an official logo on her congressional web page, although her just-announced presidential bid features a logo with an embellished 'h' in her surname to note her patriotic zeal, now rolling out across her Facebook, Twitter and official pages. 

ABC News points out that former Utah governor Jon Huntsman's logo, meanwhile, recalls the one Obama brandished in 2008 — like Bachmann, highlighting the 'h' in his surname, to a vastly different effect.Continue reading...

Tonight's GOP debate on CNN could prove crucial for several of the Republican candidates and potential candidates in a still-roiled, still-early race for their party’s nomination to attempt to unseat President Obama in 2012.

Michelle Bachmann, the Tea Party favorite from Minnesota, will make her national debut as a 2012 contender on the stage in Manchester, NH. As the front-runner so far, Mitt Romney will be under pressure not to hurt himself. Newt Gingrich will stop in New Hampshire on Redemption Road. And former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty simply will be trying to get more traction.

Sarah Palin won’t be on the GOP-candidate stage tonight, and perhaps never. But her long “non-candidate” campaigning, and national media attention as the outspoken former governor of Alaska, leave her as a looming presence over the debate nonetheless. You can betcha that if she finally decides to leap into the fray, the post-debate dynamics will be upset.Continue reading...

Wonder why #plannedparenthood is a trending topic today on Twitter?

It's at the heart of a stand-off, as US Republicans and Democrats debate a Republican-backed proposal to cut more than $300 million in Title X federal funding for women's health care centers, including Planned Parenthood, that may force a government shutdown (another trending topic) at midnight tonight.

That's why it's seeking support by releasing a series of celebrity spots titled "Stand With Planned Parenthood" including PSAs by Scarlett Johannson (above) and Gwyneth Paltrow (below), along with a group spot featuring comedian Sarah Silverman and actress Kathleen Turner.Continue reading...

Android is booming thanks to Asia.

Boeing boosts jet prices, drops short-range carrier.
 
Boston Scientific abandons sale of pain-management unit.  

Brett Favre sits out Vikings vs. Giants game, ends streak at 297 NFL games. 

Comcast tests combo web/TV service.

Costco rebuffed by U.S. Supreme Court in challenge against Swatch's Omega watch brand.Continue reading...

The Republican Party won big in Tuesday’s elections, capturing a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, neutralizing the Democratic Party in the U.S. Senate, seizing a handful of key governorships and state legislatures across the country and marking the ascendancy of the Tea Party. Among other industries, the shift has big implications for the branding and marketing community. 

AOL revenue drops 26% on slumping ad sales.

Apple's iPad dominated 95% of the market for tablet computers last quarter.

Bugatti launches Veyron model in India, priced at $3.6 million.

Chase partners with DreamWorks for Megamind 3D movie.

Discovery Communications notches huge gains in ad sales.Continue reading...